Ayla - Matariki information report

 Matariki Information Report
By Ching and Ayla

What is Matariki?
Matariki is the Maori name for the cluster of stars known as Pleiades. The stars are seen for most of the year but they disappear in late April. The cluster of stars re-apear during the middle of winter. Matariki rises in mid-winter and is the start of the Maori New Year.

What does the name Matariki mean? What was the Maori myth behind Matariki?
There are other names for Matariki such as eyes of God, little eyes, and seven sisters. Matariki was also believed to be the name of the oldest sister. The oldest sister would guide her younger sisters to their places in the sky. There was a myth that Ranginui (the Sky Father) and Papatuanuku (the Earth Mother) were separated by their children. Then Tawhirimatea (the God of Wind) got so angry that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.

Matariki was a time for…
Matariki was a time for remembering the people who died in the last year and also a happy time to harvest crops like kumara and taro. It was a great time to go fishing, and for hunting birds. People also flew kites because ancient custom says that they fly close to the stars. It was also a time to make plans for the future. Also during, Matariki people would sing, dance and feast. Matariki is also a time to tell stories.

Matariki celebrations, the past and today.
The celebration of Matariki had stopped in the 1940’s, but then revived in the early 2000’s. At first, not a lot of people celebrated Matariki, but over the years, thousands of people joined the celebrations.

Extra Information
The nine stars are called Matariki, Tupuarangi, Waipuna-a-Rangi, Waiti, Tupuanuku, Ururangi, Waita, Pohutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi. Each star holds a certain significance over our wellbeing and environment, as seen from the Maori view of the world.